05-08-2009, 12:54 AM
For complicated sockets (internal) cleaning for the really-bad cases, very small metal round small-tooth files used by guitar-luthiers work. I have a set of these very- small-round bastards (hee hee), I ordered yrs ago from a guitar builders luthiers supply house called "Stewart McDonald".These type small metal files are used for cutting very-small grooves in the bone-nuts that seperate the strings on all-stringed instruments, going to the tuners. Stew Mac may have a website by now? Try StewMac.....com. Look for the files there. Mine work fine if need be, but usually a shot of WD-40 does the trick by re-inserting the tube(s),.. remove it,... and "repeat" several times till good contact is assertained for guaranteed continuity all around the orig sockets pins connections. Loctals types tubes-pins (all) are the "worst" for corrosion buildup issues.
However, most tube sockets on vintage radios just need a good shot of WD-40 to clean up the internal connections, that is, if the socket(s) connections isnt broken internally between the orig loctal-type phenolic wafers, hidden from eyesight,.. we all love and adore!?
I like De-Oxit except for the price, & have some here on my workbench. DeOxit doesnt do anything WD-40 wont do at a much cheaper price!! Ive carefully compared both products in many past restorations of vintage vol, tone controls etc, & for my money, WD-40 rules. Water Displacement #40 works well as any the others for removing debris in vintage tube sockets as well. Just my .02
However, most tube sockets on vintage radios just need a good shot of WD-40 to clean up the internal connections, that is, if the socket(s) connections isnt broken internally between the orig loctal-type phenolic wafers, hidden from eyesight,.. we all love and adore!?
I like De-Oxit except for the price, & have some here on my workbench. DeOxit doesnt do anything WD-40 wont do at a much cheaper price!! Ive carefully compared both products in many past restorations of vintage vol, tone controls etc, & for my money, WD-40 rules. Water Displacement #40 works well as any the others for removing debris in vintage tube sockets as well. Just my .02